Transcript Words Are Drab…Engage Your Students With Vocab!

Words Are
Drab…Engage Your
Students With Vocab!
CAST 2011
Aimee Ayers and Jena Walters
6th Grade Science TEK…do you see a
problem??
(7) Matter and energy. The student knows that
some of Earth's energy resources are available
on a nearly perpetual basis, while others can be
renewed over a relatively short period of time.
Some energy resources, once depleted, are
essentially nonrenewable. The student is
expected to:
(A) research and debate the advantages and
disadvantages of using coal, oil, natural gas,
nuclear power, biomass, wind, hydropower,
geothermal, and solar resources; and
List of Words Commonly
Found on Science
Assessments
Apparatus
Evidence
Classify
Exposed
Common
Formation
Composed
Indicates
Confirm
Ordinary
Diagram
Percentage
Diagram
Screen shot courtesy of Delta Education Foss Web http://www.fossweb.com/NYC/modules6-8/DSM_LTE/DSM_LTE_Build.pdf
What To
Do???
What the Research
Says…
Students need to be involved in constructing
meaning
The vocabulary needs to be tied into the content,
not recited
Listen, Speak, Read, Write!! ELPS
Re-teach, review, and reuse vocabulary in an
engaging way CONSTANTLY!
A robust approach to vocabulary
involves directly explaining the
meanings of words along with
thought provoking, playful,
and interactive follow up.
Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002
Word Wall
Content Word Wall
Colorful
Catchy Title
Words and Pictures
Test Vocabulary Word Wall
Color-coded
Sentence Strips
Vocabulary Card courtesy of Melissa Duncan
Games
Excellent strategy for reviewing
vocabulary
Keeps students engaged
Hands on approach that allows
students to create their own meaning
Fly Swatter Vocabulary
Fly Swatter Vocabulary (use your word wall)\
Divide students into 2-3 lines.
The first student in each line receives a fly swatter
or pointer
Call out a definition or example of a vocabulary
word on the word wall
The first student to swat the correct word
receives a point for their team
Magic Squares
Vocabulary Words are each given a letter.
Students match the numbers with the terms and
record the number in the matching number box.
After they have matched all numbers, they can add
up the rows and columns to make sure they got the
‘magic number’
If they did not, they messed up somewhere!
Sticky Note Secrets or
Human Hot Seat
Sticky Note Secret
In small groups or pairs, one student will put a sticky note
on their forehead or a vocabulary card above their head,
without looking.
The other students(s) will describe the vocabulary word and
the guessing student will guess the word on their head
Human Hot Seat
The game is the same, but one student sits in a chair facing
the class
On the board behind the student, write a vocabulary word
for the class to describe
Total Physical Response
ELPS Strategy
Students use their whole body to
demonstrate a vocabulary word
Example: Potential and Kinetic
Back Words
Each student puts a vocabulary word on his/her
back.
Students walk around room asking only YES or
NO questions about his/her word.
The game is finished when everyone has solved
their word!
Example from the beginning of the year: “Am I an
animal?”
Example from this week: “Am I living?,” “Is my word a
process?”
Concept Attainment
Provide “yes” and “no” examples.
Students derive definition/concept by picking
out common attributes from the “yes”
category.
Throw in a “twist.”
Discuss
Conga Line
Split class in half and create two lines of students
facing each other.
Teacher gives students a vocabulary word.
Students start by telling the person across from them
the definition.
Students then rotate one person down the line and
give them an example of the word.
Students move again and use the word in a sentence.
This can go on until you feel students have an
understanding of the word!
Draw-a-word
Give students construction paper or create a new
page in journal.
The top half of the page the students will illustrate a
vocabulary word/concept.
Teacher will start the music and students move
around the room. When the music stops students sit
where they are.
Students will write the word for the picture, use it in
a sentence, and write the definition on another
students drawing.
On the Move
Teacher gives each student a sentence strip with a
vocabulary word.
Students walk around the room as “word detectives”
asking questions about their word.
Students can come up with their own questions or
the teacher can provide something for students to
gather and record information on.
Concept Development
Provide pictures or words for students to sort
into categories.
Students objective is to decide the title of the
lesson and place all pictures or words into
categories with common characteristics.
There must be at least TWO per category.
Students are deriving the concept.
Think-Pair-Share
Pick a strategy to take back and use in your
classroom.
Discuss with a partner how you will use this
strategy.
Story Telling
Make it interactive
Thumbs up
Card sort
Secret Message Decoder
The Story of Family
Element
Metal
Magnetic
Non-metal
Shiny/Lustrous
Metalloid
Solid
Periodic Table of Elements
Conductivity
Dull
Periodic Table of
Elements
Thank you for joining us!
Aimee Ayers – [email protected]
Jena Walters – [email protected]
www.ciser.ttu.edu/outreach